Pierre Bergé, who passed away at 86 on Sept. 8th, was crucial to the 20th-century change in the French fashion market, helping his friend and lover Yves Saint Laurent, who had inherited the Christian Dior house, to battle for his rights and to move the couture market into ready-to-wear in 1966.

For those of us in the photography market, Bergé was a force in the French auction market, launching Pierre Bergé & associés. The house will remain an important player in both France and Belgium, where it has offices, under the administration of Antoine Godeau.

Several important photography sales have been held by the auction house, including the collection of Marc and Brigitte Pagneux and a group of daguerreotypes attributed to Le Gray and Mestral.